For Jesse Losey of Savannah, Georgia, restoring a 1937 Dodge Coupe had been a life-long dream. While it took him a while to fully restore his dream car, Jesse was able to finish the project within his established timeframe because he made a number of important decisions before he got started on the project.
The first thing that you should do before starting on the project is to access the condition of the car. Will the car need to be restored from the ground up, or are there only a few items that will need your attention? Making this determination before you get started will help to save you time and money. Once you’ve determined the amount of work you will have to do restoring the car, you will need to decide if you want all original parts or if you are willing to make some compromises to save a little bit of money. Take the time to make a list of all the parts you will need and then decide which ones have to be original and which ones can be bought at a lower price.
Next you need to determine if you are going to do the entire restoration yourself, or if you are going to have a trained mechanic help you out with some of the work. Doing it yourself can save you a lot of money, however, it will cost you more if you have to have a mechanic come in and fix your mistakes. Determine your skill level and then plan the restoration accordingly.
Planning your budget is an important aspect of car restoration. Take into account everything that you will need and figure out your budget. Be sure to add an extra 30 percent to your budget, as most budgets tend to run over slightly. Finally, plan your work schedule. Plan each step so you aren’t rushed to completion. Just like Jesse Losey, as you finish up with the last of the work, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment.